“There must be!” insisted the man. “It’s a matter of life and death! The current must be shut off!”
He waited, moving about nervously, while holding the receiver to his ear. Those near him could not imagine what was the trouble. Then came a click in the receiver that showed that some one was at the other end of the wire.
“Hello! Hello!” cried the man who was trying to have the power cut off. “Why didn’t you answer before. Why don’t you shut off the current? There’s a man being killed—what’s that?”
He fairly yelled the last words, and those near him saw a look of horror spread over his face.
“What’s that?” he shouted. “The electrician has stepped out you say? What? He thought the power was to be left on? Oh! He’ll be back in five minutes? But that will be too late. Can’t you—hold on there—don’t go away—what’s that—yes, I hear you but—don’t go away—do something—pull out the switch—do something—never mind the electrician—you do it—don’t go away—don’t go away—Ah—it’s too late!”
He turned to those standing near him at the telephone.
“The only electrician now at the power station stepped out after turning on the current,” the man explained dully, as he hung up the receiver. “There was some mistake. He thought the wiring was finished, and that the power was to remain turned on. So he went out, and he left a green man in charge, who doesn’t know anything about the engines, or dynamos. This man said he’d run out and get the electrician. I tried to stop him—tried to make him understand that he, himself, must do something—must shut off the current—but I couldn’t get it through his head. He dropped the telephone, and ran out after the electrician. Now there’s no way of shutting off the power until the engineer gets back, and, by that time——” He paused significantly, and rushed out. Nothing more could be done at the telephone. It was as if the wire was broken.
Up on his high perch the lineman was becoming weaker from the strain, and the fear of death. He looked down at the crowd below. Bart and Fenn gazed upward. How they wished they could help!
“Is that man—that mysterious man gone?” asked Bart, in low tones.
“Yes,” replied Fenn, “he’s hurrying down the street. We’d better take after him, if we want to catch him. He’s getting to be very suspicious of us. We ought to catch him.”